"Anything Goes" is a song written by Cole Porter for his 1934 musical of the same name. Many of the lyrics include humorous references to figures of scandal and gossip from Depression-era high society. A recording by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (vocal by Ramona Davies) was very popular in 1934.

People and items referenced in the song

The song opens with a reference to the Massachusetts Bay Colony The opening stanza is believed to have influenced the orations of Malcolm X, who in 1964 said "Our forefathers were not the Pilgrims, we didn't land on Plymouth Rock, the rock was landed on us. The song mentions Mae West, Hollywood sex symbol, and Missus Ned McLean (Evalyn Walsh McLean), who had traveled to the Soviet Union early after the Russian Revolution in an attempt to have a Tsarist relative reappointed Ambassador to the United States. Also mentioned are industrialist John D. Rockefeller, producer Max Gordon, the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, and prominent tastemaker Lady Mendl. One couplet refers to Samuel Goldwyn's box-office failure Nana starring Anna Sten, whose English was said to be incomprehensible to all except Goldwyn. (Goldwyn was from Poland and Sten from Ukraine.) The final stanza references an advertisement that Eleanor Roosevelt had done for a bed company.

Later recordings

1950s–80s

1990s–present

There have been other cast recordings.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga version

Background and composition

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga first collaborated when they sang "The Lady Is a Tramp" for Bennett's Grammy Award-winning album, Duets II, then on the album Cheek to Cheek (2014). The recording took place over a year in New York City. Bennett's quartet was present, including Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Harold Jones, and Marshall Wood as well as pianist Tom Lanier. With Marion Evans, jazz trumpeter Brian Newman, a long-time friend and colleague of Gaga, played on the album. Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and flautist Paul Horn performed. The songs were handpicked by Bennett and Gaga; they selected tracks from the Great American Songbook, including "Anything Goes". Bennett sang "Anything Goes" on his album Strike Up the Band (1959), which Gaga heard when she was 13 years old. She thought "Anything Goes" was a funny track with a "real sexy, powerful vibe to it, and it's just because we're having fun singing it." Gaga and Bennett switched lyrics. The recording was described by Bobby Olivier of The Star-Ledger as "smooth as silk...Gaga's voice, when stripped of its bells and whistles, showcases a timelessness that lends itself well to the genre." Instrumentation comes from horns, cymbals, and saxophones. Photographer Steven Klein shot the album covers developed the cover art showing Gaga and Bennett in a newspaper cut.

Release and reception

Howard Reich of Chicago Tribune gave a positive review, saying found Gaga to be in "good voice" and Bennett in "classic form". Bree Jackson at V magazine called the song a "fresh take" on the original. MTV News critic Gil Kaufman said, "Gaga is clearly having a blast, doing her best Broadway belting with tons of energy and enthusiasm". Alexa Camp at Slant Magazine called Gaga's performance "blatantly affected, marred by shouting and clichéd phrasing." Edwin McFee at Hot Press called the song "tawdry" and "stale". "Gaga attempting to out-sing Bennett was a terribly misguided decision". The song received a nomination for Record Production/Single or Track at the 30th Annual TEC Awards under the category of Outstanding Creative Achievement Awards. In the United Kingdom, "Anything Goes" debuted at number 174 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending August 9, 2014. It also charted at number 132 on the sales chart of the Official Charts Company. In Spain it debuted within the top-fifty of the PROMUSICAE singles chart at number 40. "Anything Goes" debuted outside the top 100 of the French Singles Chart, at number 178. On the Billboard Jazz Digital Songs chart, the track debuted at the top, becoming Gaga's second entry on that chart, following "The Lady is a Tramp". The song was Bennett's 15th entry on the Jazz Digital Songs chart, and his third number-one single. According to Nielsen SoundScan, "Anything Goes" sold 16,000 digital downloads in the US up to the week ending August 3, 2014. The song dropped to number three on Jazz Digital Songs chart the next week but moved back to number two the week after.

Charts

Release history

In popular culture